Pharmacy is telling me that Teva is discontinuing Tamoxifen

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Crescent5
Crescent5 Member Posts: 442
edited April 2018 in Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After

Anyone else hear this? Teva brand is the only tamoxifen I can tolerate, so I'm particularly disappointed. I'm also not entirely sure this is true. I sent an email to Teva, but wondering in the meantime if anyone else has been told this.

Thank you =)

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  • jojo9999
    jojo9999 Member Posts: 202
    edited August 2016

    Crescent5 - what is the number imprinted on your teva pills (not the bottle, but the pill) ? its the number that matters. there have been a number of mergers among the generic manufacturers. is it possible the name is changing but not the actual manufacturing of the pill? I use teva and will be refilling soon and will ask.

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  • kcat2013
    kcat2013 Member Posts: 391
    edited August 2016

    I recently filled my Tam. prescription and was surprised to see that it was made by Mylan not Teva. I've used Teva the whole time I've taken Tamoxifen. Nothing was said on the script except noting that the manufacturer was different than what was previously taken. I prefer the Teva pills, they are smooth and easier to swallow (I'm a pill swallowing wimp).


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  • Nancy2581
    Nancy2581 Member Posts: 1,234
    edited August 2016

    well this isn't good. I also use the Teva brand . Several months ago they tried to switch me to a different manufacturer. I said no switch me back which they did. Now I'm gonna call the pharmacy and as

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  • ErenTo
    ErenTo Member Posts: 343
    edited August 2016

    I've been using Teva from beginning and when I filled my last Tam prescription around March, pharmacy told me that Teva is out of stock and it might take a while and asked me if I wanted to wait or go for another brand. Having had good experience with Teva I waited a bit and then had to order Watson, which was equally good without any issue (and the pill is smaller as a bonus!). I ended up switching to an AI but it had nothing to do with side effect.

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  • Nancy2581
    Nancy2581 Member Posts: 1,234
    edited August 2016

    I just called TEVA and yes they are no longer making tamoxifen. Mayne Pharmaceutical is. I called Mayne and they told me they will not be changing the formula. You can ask your Pharmacy to order from them

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2016

    My last refill was Mayne. However, the code on the pill was still listed as Teva's.

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  • 70charger
    70charger Member Posts: 963
    edited August 2016

    Interesting. I've been on Nolvadex-D tamoxifen made by AstraZeneca . Today I got my new pills & they are Teva with a sticker that they look the different but are same as my previous pills.

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  • 70charger
    70charger Member Posts: 963
    edited August 2016

    bump


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  • TwoHobbies
    TwoHobbies Member Posts: 2,118
    edited August 2016

    Everyone, Mayne bought 42 Teva and Allergan products including tamoxifen. they are in NC and are expanding their manufacturing facility there, although i dont kniw if that mesns tamoxifen is/will be manufactured there

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  • new2bc
    new2bc Member Posts: 559
    edited March 2017

    I just found out that Tamoxifen by TEVA is discontinued. They told me they have 3 companies: Mylan, Watson, Mayne. Which one is better to get as far as fillers and side effects? I read earlier in this post that Mayne is similar to TEVA. Is it still the case? Anyone taking the pill by Mayne? Any different side effects? Thanks for your help.

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited March 2017

    I don't think there's an answer as far as side effects--it's individual. I did better with Watson, can only get Mayne, and had a crummy time on Mylan. YMMV. For what it's worth, a friend in pharma told me that Mayne's formulation isn't expected to change.

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  • new2bc
    new2bc Member Posts: 559
    edited March 2017

    Thanks ksusan,

    Is the code on the pill from Mayne still the same as TEVA since you posted last in Aug? if not, what is the code? Thanks.

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited March 2017

    I couldn't tell you what it used to be. Mayne is currently 93 782. The website https://www.drugs.com/imprints.php?drugname=tamoxifen says this imprint is manufactured by Teva.

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  • Nancy2581
    Nancy2581 Member Posts: 1,234
    edited March 2017

    Yes Mayne took over from Teva. They told me they were not changing the formula so I'm sticking with them. I'm still getting TEVA though, but one time it was Mayne now TEVA again - weird



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  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited March 2017

    I use Mayne with no issues at all. I get 90 pills for $20.

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  • new2bc
    new2bc Member Posts: 559
    edited March 2017

    Thank you everyone,

    I have a few TEVA pills left. The code is 93 782. Have a great weekend!

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited March 2017

    Sounds like Mayne and Teva have the same number--hoping this means an identical formulation.

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  • Zoritsa
    Zoritsa Member Posts: 37
    edited April 2017

    Thanks for the post! I'm getting ready to refill my script, and was going to take it in when I did. I was switched from Teva to Mylan and have more side effects now then I did with Teva. I will ask the pharmacist if they can change it to Mayne, since it's essentially Teva and I did well on that one.

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited April 2017

    My pharmacist checked with his distributor, and it appears that due to mergers, spinoffs and consolidations, Roxane and even Teva may have stopped making letrozole too.

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  • new2bc
    new2bc Member Posts: 559
    edited April 2017

    I received my mail order prescription for Tamoxifen from Mayne company and now the numbers are different from TEVA. May be in the beginning, they still had some TEVA pills left over and now they have to make their own. The numbers from Mayne show:

    WPI 2233

    I will update this forum if I have any side effects after taking the ones from Mayne. If anyone is taking the pills with the same numbers, let us know if there are any new side effects.


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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited April 2017

    I just filled with Mayne and got 33 782. WPI is Watson (also no longer made, as I understand it).

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  • new2bc
    new2bc Member Posts: 559
    edited April 2017

    Thanks ksusan,

    you are right. I asked for Mayne and they sent me pills from Watson. Did they buy Watson? I will call them on Monday. They do anything to save a buck.

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited April 2017

    FWIW, I tolerated Watson well.

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  • jojo9999
    jojo9999 Member Posts: 202
    edited April 2017

    me too - I actually had slightly more SE with the TEVA/mayne than with Watson.

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  • Artista928
    Artista928 Member Posts: 2,753
    edited April 2017

    So should Mayne change the Teva formula, would the # change?

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  • new2bc
    new2bc Member Posts: 559
    edited April 2017

    I called the pharmacy and requested only Mayne brand for Tamoxifen. The number on the pill is 93 78, the same as Teva.

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  • B123
    B123 Member Posts: 730
    edited January 2018

    I have tried tamoxifen nolvadex brand? On the pill it has written WPI 2233. It made me horribly sick, heaviness in low abdominal and pressure. Has anyone tried that?

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  • Michelle_in_cornland
    Michelle_in_cornland Member Posts: 1,689
    edited January 2018

    The pill distributed by Mayne, is manufactured by Teva. As long as the numerical markings are the same, it is the exact same. Otherwise, there would be new coding on the tablet.

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  • shebg16
    shebg16 Member Posts: 3
    edited February 2018

    Hi everyone! This is my first post! I'm a breast cancer survivor, it has been 3 years since my diagnosis and 2.5 years since I began my Tamoxifen treatment. I have been taking Teva's brand since I began my treatment, but a few months back my pharmacy gave me a refill by Mayne Pharma instead of Teva. I experienced horrible side effects (intense hot flashes, night sweats, depressed/weepy, lethargic, etc.). Anyway, I was able to get a switch back to Teva for the past few months and everything has been normal, status quo.
    This most recent refill I received Mayne again. I actually didn't even realize the switch until I'd taken the medicine for 5-6 days and all the sudden I was experiencing all the same intense side effects again. I checked the bottle, and sure enough, I'd once again been given Mayne instead of Teva. I called my pharmacy to speak with the pharmacist. She told me that Mayne acquired Teva, and so it's possible they're only distributing their generic because she said she can see that Teva is no longer available to order. She told me she thought the formula was identical, but I'm telling you, I know my body and this is not the same. I think I have a few Teva pills left so when I get home I will check the numbers on the pills and compare, but either way it sounds like Teva will be gone moving forward.

    Needless to say, I am feeling a bit panicked because the side effects from Mayne have been dreadful and I can't imagine continuing to take this brand. I guess I have a few questions: 1) is Teva definitely no longer available? 2) if I were to stick things out with Mayne, will these side effects subside? 3) do I have any other options?
    While unpleasant I can deal with hot flashes and physical discomfort, but I absolutely cannot function with the depressed, sad, weepy emotional side effects.

    Any help or suggestions are welcome!

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  • jojobob
    jojobob Member Posts: 3
    edited April 2018

    I have been on tamoxifen for 4 1/2 years. I can't wait till I'm done. I want to know what my body will do without it. Just got my first bottle of mayne. Didn't even notice until the side effects started. I know I like teva best (less intense hot flashes). This past month I'm sleeping terribly, 5-6 hot flashes a night. I really would like information from a chemist about the formulas. I've tried teva, watson, mayne and mylan.

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